How Papaya Farming Transformed a Struggling Village into a Thriving Economy
A small village in Manikchhari has seen a remarkable shift from poverty to prosperity, thanks to papaya farming. Remrachai Marma, a young local farmer, kickstarted this change in 2021 with just 200 trees. His success has since inspired dozens of others to follow suit, transforming the local economy. Remrachai Marma began his papaya farm with a modest investment of 200 trees. By 2024, his garden had expanded to 3,000 trees spread across 10 acres. This year alone, he has earned Tk 20 lakh from his harvest, with another Tk 5 lakh worth of fruit still maturing on the trees.
His achievements have motivated neighbours like Rabai Marma, who now grows Green Lady hybrid papayas on 30 acres. Weekly earnings for Rabai range between Tk 5,000 and Tk 8,000, while others, such as Joyram Chakma and Kalparanjan Chakma, have turned four and a half acres of unused land into a thriving farm. Their combined sales have already reached Tk 65 lakh. The district now boasts around 350 papaya farmers, supported by the local Agriculture Department. With roughly 436 hectares dedicated to cultivation, the target production for this year stands at 6.5 metric tons. Rabai Marma, who invested Tk 40,000, expects his sales to climb into several lakh taka in the coming months.
The growth of papaya farming has brought new income streams to a once-struggling village. Farmers like Marma and his neighbours now earn significantly more, with the district's total production set to rise. The shift highlights how a single successful venture can reshape an entire community's future.
